Weed burner



Feb. 13, 1940. G. H. ROCHE wEED BURNER y Filed uarch z, 1 957 l INVENTOR. Glenn H. ROC/7e Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES vVVEED BURNER Glenn H. Roche, Soutliv Gate, Calif.

Application March 22,

Claims.

to provide a portable device that will burn a restricted area and at the same time control such burning to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent areas. l

Another object is to provide separate chambers in such a device, one for burning the combustible material in a prescribed area under a high temperature and another for extinguishing the flame in such area after the burning over.

Other objects include providing novel means .for preventing the re `from spreading at the sides, front and rear of the -device, and to afford means whereby the device may ride over obstacles without damage.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and ar- I rangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Figure l is a vertical section ofan embodi- Referring more in detail to the drawing, `the reference numeral 5 generally designates a nous ing for my device. `Extending longitudinally alongthe sides are ,runners 6, upon which the device slides. The runners are preferably V- shaped in section and turned up at the'ends. The device may be Adrawn or supported by any suitable means. Chains 1 have been indicated as supporting the device by means of a boom or other means (not shown). The chains 'I are fastened to the housing by suitable means.

The front end of housing has an` opening 8 which in operation is closed by a door 9 mounted to slide in grooves I0. A chain I2 also preferably supported by the boom or other means operates f the door. i

The top and side Walls of the housing 5 are preferably lined with refractorymaterial, as shown aty I3, I4 and i5, respectively. Thetop lining' I3 is arched from front to back, as shown in Figure 1.` Bolts I6 embedded in the refrac-` tory material suspend the the top of the housing. v

A vertical partition vI9 divides the interior of arched top lining from 19321-,` serial No. 132,192

the housing 5 into two chambers ll and i8. The side of the partition I9 facingthe chamber ll is also covered with refractory material '20. vThe lower portion of the partition provides a ilap gate 2i, hinged at 22 to the upper portion of the partition.`

The rear of the housing 5 has a flap gate 23, hinged at 24, and a discharge outlet 25 connecting with a fan 26. The fan, which discharges into a screen trap 2l', is driven by any suitable means.

The chamber Il provides a retort for the decomposition by heat of combustible material. A coil 28 in the retort llprovides means for pre-heating material to generate an inflammable gas. The material used may be a gas', e. `gnrrock gas, or may be a liquid, e. g., distillate.` A burner 29 at the end of the coil projects downwardly at a rearwardly inclined angle. The coil `is connected to any suitable source of material. It is to be understood without further illustration that a series of burners 29 may be employed.

`To prevent the re from spreading laterally,

I provide wire brushes 30 and 3l, that are rotated to sweep inwardly toward the housing and toward each other. Mechanism for rotating the brushes comprises a drive shaft 32 upon which is mounted a drive pinion 33. Suitable bearings 34 are provided for the shaft 32. Bevel gears 35 l and 35 are disposed at opposite ends of the shaft 32.

Brackets 31, 38 and 39 are fastened to the sidesroi the `housing 5. Bevel gears 46 and M mesh respectively with bevel gears 35 and 36. The bevel gears it and il are mounted upon driving sleeves 42, which in turn are rotatably supported in the brackets 3l.' fDrivingspindles 43 are splined in the driving sleeves 42. Springs 44 coiled around the spindles 43 abut against the brackets 38 and stops 45 on the spindles, urg ing the rotary brushes 30, 3i downwardly against the ground.

The spindles *i3 are free to rotate in the bracket 38 and carry at their lower ends bevel gears 46, which mesh with bevel gears `l1 on the rotary brushes. n

The rear nap door 23 may be maintained closed normally by means of a helical spring 48, or the door 23 may be composed of a series of aps 49, as shown in Figure 3. `In the latter form, weights 5i! may be used to` maintain the flaps vertical normally, by gravity. A pin 5l permits swinging movements of the aps v49 when obstructions are struck.

In the operation of my device, the front door S is lowered to a closed position. Material discharged from the nozzle 29 is ignited; pinion 33 is operatively connected with a source of power; and the blow fan in the housing 26 is started.

The apparatus is now advanced along the area to be burned, in the direction of the arrow A of Figure l, by means of the chains 1 attached to a boom on a tractor, or other suitable means. As the apparatus advances, weeds, grass, small brush, and other combustible material is bent down by the door 9. As the combustible material again rises, it is at substantially the same angle to the horizontal as the nozzle 2R. The flame from the nozzle thus impinges directly upon such material. chamber il' is high (2700u F. or more), the combustible material is substantially' decomposed by the heat by the time the housing has moved' forward to a position in which the material, or what is left of it is in the suction chamber I8.

The lining i3 at the top of the housing, interiorly, is relatively high above the ground, to prov vide,l a chamber of sufficient size to provide sufcient air to support combustion therein. The size of the chamber Il, the curved top lining I3, the angle of the nozzle means 29 and the force of the gas from the nozzle together cause a swirling or turbulence oi the air in the chamber l1, as shown by the curved arrows therein. This motion of the air aids combustion and eiiicient distribution of the heat in the chamber.

The flap gates 2E and 23 permit the apparatus to pass ,over rocks, mounds of dirt, etc.-

.The fan 26 creates a partial vacuum in the chamber it. The suction of the fan draws up all flames that maystillbe burning in chamber I8, thus snuiing out such flames and thereby pre-v venting the apparatus from leaving burning material in its wake. Due to the partial vacuum in -the chamber i8, if the rear flap door 23 is raised,

there will be an irl-rush of air, thus preventing the spread of iire to the rear. a

The wire brushes Sii and 3 l, by sweeping toward each other and toward the housing, quench and prevent the spread of re, laterally, in case an obstacle or uneven ground causes one or both of the'runners to rise. The runners 6 otherwise maintain close contact with the ground.

The screen trap El catches burning materiall position.

By reason of the splined driving sleeves 42 andI the driving spindles 43, the springs 44 tend to ymaintain the brushes in contact with the ground 'at all times and at the same time rotate the brushes continuously, whether obstructions are encountered or not.

lWhile I have illustratedand Tdescribed what IA ,now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit oi' my invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, b1lt desi?? .t9

Since the temperature in the retort avail myself of all modifications which may Afall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable weed burner apparatus having a housing open at its bottom and movable over the ground, a partition dividing the interior of the housing into two chambers, one of said chambers being ahead of the other with regard to the direction of operative movement of the apparatus over the ground, at least a portion of the partition being hinged to swing rearwardly upon striking an obstruction, burner means in the forward chamber, and suction means connected to prolduce a partial vacuum in the rear chamber, to

snuff out the fire as the apparatus is moved over the ground.

2. A portable weed burner apparatus comprising two separate open bottom chambers movable over the ground, one of the chambers being ahead of the other with regard to the direction of operative movement of the apparatus over the ground, a burner in the forward chamber disposed to project a iiame downwardly and rearwardly, means on the apparatus ahead of the burner to bend vcombustible material forward with regard to the direction of operative movement of the apparatus, and means to produce a partial vacuum in the rear chamber and to discharge gases from the rear chamber into the atmosphere.

3. A portable burner apparatus comprising a housing open at its bottom and movable endwise over the ground, burner means in the housing, non-combustible rotarybrushes at the sides of the housing, spring means tending to maintain the brushes in contact with the ground and driving means `for rotating the brushes continuously to sweep toward the housing but permitting the housing to be raised relative to the brushes.

4. A portable burner apparatus comprising a housing open at its bottom and movable endwise over the ground, burner means in the housing, non-combustible rotary brushes at the sides of the housing, vertical splined shafts arranged to rotate the brushes in directions to sweep material toward the housing, the vertical splined shafts permitting the housing to be raised relative to the brushes, and spring means tending to maintain the brushes'in contact with the ground at all times.

5. A portable burner apparatus comprising a housing open at its bottom and movable endwise over the ground, a partition dividing the housing interiorly into two separate chambers, one of the chambers being ahead of the other with regard to the direction of operative movement of theA apparatus, the housing having closed side, front and rear walls, runners extending along both chambers at the bottoms of the side walls, burner means disposed in the chamber dened by: the front wall of "the housing, the forward walls, the portions of the runners under the rear portions of the side walls, andv the rear wall of the housing.

6. A portable burner apparatus having a housing-open at its bottom and movable over the ground, a partition dividing the interior -of the housing into two chambers, one being ahead of the other, as the apparatus is moved, the partition extending down within closeproximity to the ground, thereby providing arestrictedpas sage under the partition, from one chamber to the other, burner means in the forward chamber, and suction means to produce a partial vacuum in the rear chamber.

7. A portable weed burner apparatus having a housing open at its bottom and movable over the ground, a partition dividing the interior of the housing into two chambers, one of the chambers; being ahead of the other chamber with` regard to the direction of the operative movement of the apparatus over the ground, Vburner means in the forward chamber, the partition being arranged to pass over burning material, and suction means having an` intake 'connected to the rear chamber to produce a partial vacuum in the mentof the apparatusover the ground, burner means `in the forward chamber, the rear chamber being at least one-third as wide as the vforward chamber, and suction means having an intake connected to the rearchamber tol produce a par- 5 tial vacuum in the rear chamber and having a discharge opening into the atmosphere for gases l of combustion from the rear chamber. l

9. A portable burner apparatus having a housing open at its bottom and movable over the 10 ground, a partition dividing the interior ofthe housing into two chambers, one being ahead of the other as the apparatus is moved, the apparatus having a restrictedpassage past the partition from one chamber to the other, burnerv means in 15 the forward chamber, and suction means to produce a partial vacuum in the rear chamber.'

` 1). A burner apparatus comprising a housing openat its bottom, burner means in the housing for decomposing combustible material by heat, non-combustible rotary brushes extending along `the sides of'the housing and means to cause the brushes tosweep inwardly toward the sides of the housing.

\ l GLENN H. ROCHE. 

